1. You'll need to add one Stereo Aux Input and one MIDI track. (File-New Track)

2. Raise the fader on the Aux 1 track. (Aux tracks always default to faders down)

3. Launch the softsynth plugin of choice. (In the Mix window, top 5 buttons are plugins, click on one)

4. If required by your soft synth, select a patch/instrument. (some like Sampletank do not come with a default patch, you must select one. Others, like Reason, have presets for all the modules)

5. On the MIDI 1 track, make sure the input says All (will respond to any incoming MIDI signal from any port, any channel) (input is the 3rd button above auto read)

6. On the MIDI 1 track, select the output as channel 1 of your softsynth, which should be listed as an output. (e.g. Sampletank ch1 - 16, or Reason and its various modules) (output is the button directly above auto read)

7. Record-enable your MIDI track. (press the red R button) Your softsynth should respond to incoming MIDI messages from your keyboard.

* Please note that Aux Inputs WILL mix down in real-time during a bouncedown, so in most cases, you do not need to make the soft synth into an actual audio track, this will happen automatically when bouncing down.

* You can use multiple MIDI tracks on the same Aux track soft synth- you can send any number of MIDI tracks to one or more MIDI channels within that soft synth.

* The output of the synth will come out your Digidesign interface.